US Preterm Births: “D” Is for Dismal

Abstract

who took finasteride experienced a 24% reduction in prostate cancer incidence compared with men taking placebo (Thompson IM et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;349[3]:215-224). Preliminary results presented earlier this year from the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial indicate that dutasteride reduces the incidence of prostate cancer in men older than age 50 years by 23% compared with placebo. “Current studies are attempting to define what population of men would most benefit from these cancer preventive drugs,” said Brown. Brown noted that because clinicians still lack a thorough understanding of individuals’ susceptibility to cancer and their response to various agents, they cannot properly screen populations or predict who will benefit from different drugs. “Future preclinical and clinical studies should focus on developing accurate cancer risk assessment tools and testing next-generation targeted agents singly and in combination for their toxicity and ability to prevent cancer,” he said.